OBJECTIVE OBSERVATION (What do I see in the photograph?)
I see four men in this photo. Three of the men are on horses.
One of the men is standing on the ground. One man on a horse has a rope
in his hands and is not wearing a hat. He is riding towards the calf which
is running ahead in the same direction. Another man on horseback is wearing
a hat and holding a red flag in his right hand at shoulder height. The
third man on horseback is wearing a black hat and also has a rope in his
hands. His horse also is running in the same direction as the calf. All
of these men and the calf are in a fenced area. There is a white wooden
fence and a green metal gate visible in this photo. Behind the fence are
more horses, two trailers, and a vehicle. A pole of some type is visible
beyond the white fence, near the trailers and vehicle. Beyond the fence
is a field of yellow grass and moutains in the distance.
SUBJECTIVE OBSERVATION (How do I interpret the photograph?)
The calf has just been released from the green-gated area.
The calf is running into the fenced pen to escape the hatless cowboy who
is chasing it in an attempt to rope it. The horseman holding the red flag
is looking for some type of foul by the roper or he could be looking for
the roper to catch the calf. He will raise the flag to signify either
one of my suggestions. The second hoseman with a rope in his hands is
trying to keep the calf in the center of the pen. The fellow standing
on the ground is a coach of the roper. The roper is practicing before
he participates in a competitive rodeo. The horses beyond the fence will
be used to rope the calves. I would estimate that this event is occuring
at mid-day based on the shadows underneath the calf and horses.
MY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PHOTOGRAPH
- Did the roper catch the calf?
- Is this his first attempt or has he attempted
previously to rope this calf?
- When and why did the flagman give a signal?
- Did the second, hatted roper interfere with the the hatless roper?
- What is the standing fellow looking for and what is he thinking?
- Do the horses and trailers beyond the white fence belong to these cowboys?
- Where is this event occuring?
- Is the dirt in the pen muddy and soft?
- What would it feel like to be on a horse chasing a calf to rope it?
- How did rodeo begin and how long has rodeo existed?
- Is rodeo still a part of the American West
today?
- What other competitive events are held in a rodeo and how did they become to be included in rodeo?
- In which states are rodeos held?
TOPICS FOR RESEARCH AND LEARNING
These topics can help you search within American
Memory. To find related photographs, do a search of the collection
from which this photograph came by clicking on the image; or search all
collections by typing in keywords and then clicking search.
- history of rodeo
- rodeo today
- rodeo events
- high school, college, and professional rodeo
- Nevada rodeo
- western rodeo
- scoring rodeo events
- cattle wrestling
- cowboys
- cowboy skills